Is Joel Embiid out of 2024 NBA MVP contention? Eligibility explored

Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid has ranked among the betting favorites for the 2024 NBA MVP award all season. However, as injuries continue to pile up for the seven-time All-Star, he is in danger of becoming ineligible for MVP voting.

As part of the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, players must play in at least 65 games to be MVP-eligible. The same goes for other major awards and honors such as Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA Teams.

Given that the season is 82 games long, that allows players a total of 17 missed games while still being awards eligible.

As of Tuesday, Embiid has already missed 12 games this season. That means that he can only miss a maximum of five more of the Sixers’ 36 remaining games while maintaining MVP eligibility. If he misses six or more, he will automatically be disqualified from MVP contention.

So, despite being the NBA’s leading scorer (35.3 points per game), Embiid could be on the outside looking in come awards voting.

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Joel Embiid suffers apparent knee injury vs Warriors, putting MVP eligibility in further jeopardy

Joel Embiid returned from a two-game absence due to left knee soreness on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. However, his return was cut short, as he was forced to exit the game early after a fourth-quarter collision with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga.

While diving for a loose ball with 4:04 remaining in the game, Kuminga landed directly on Embiid’s left knee. The collision caused the reigning MVP to writhe around in pain before ultimately limping off the court.

Embiid finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, two 3-pointers and eight turnovers on 27.8% shooting. Meanwhile, the Sixers (29-17) fell 119-107, marking their fourth straight loss following their six-game winning streak.

However, the team and its fans were far more concerned with the status of Embiid than the game’s outcome. Following the contest, Sixers coach Nick Nurse provided a brief update on the big man’s status as he awaits his MRI.

“He obviously got landed on. So, they’re gonna do an MRI tonight or tomorrow,” Nurse said. “It’s kind of unrelated to what’s been bothering him. So, we’ll just wait on that.”

Embiid potentially having sustained a new injury would certainly not be good for his chances of reaching the 65-game threshold for awards voting. Even a couple of weeks-long absence would make him ineligible for MVP.

However, fans will have to await the results of the big man’s MRI before drawing any conclusions.

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